Chapter 8: The Alliance
-- Fenton Works --
Clockwork's Portal closed behind them them. The glowing green runes of the poem still visible in the darkness.
"Danny?" someone said fearfully. Danny turned around to see Jazz and his parents staring wide eyed at the 4 new ghosts behind him. It was his mother talking. "Who... who are your friends here?"
Skulker snorted. Technus was looking at some random invention sitting on the table and Johnny was eying Jazz in a way that made Danny want to punch him. Clockwork didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular at all.
Danny sighed. "They aren't friend's really, well expect for Clockwork," He indicated the time ghost who bowed slightly, "they are more like..."
Danny didn't really know how to explain it. He was still having trouble believing that Skulker and him weren't trying to kill each other.
It was Johnny who answered, "Think of us as old enemies who have found something they hate more then each other."
Danny nodded. That about summed it up.
"Hey! Don't mess with that!" Jack said coming out of his stupor and running toward Technus.
Technus looked up, he was holding what appeared to be a large ecto blaster, "Forgive me, it's just such an interesting piece of technology. I never got the chance to examine one up close before without it was being fired at me."
Jack stopped in front of the tech ghost. "Well it is an interesting design, but that isn't..."
"Especially this phase conductor step up." Technus mentioned pointing at the weapon, "I have never seen a design quite like it."
Jack smiled. "Well yes, the phase conductor set up is what gives it the right power and frequency to actually be able to affect ghosts. Here I'll show you the new model in the lab!" Jack walked off with a curious Technus following him. Maddie sighed and followed as well, pulling Jazz out of the room with her much to Johnny's disappointment.
Danny slapped his forehead. 'Oh god, who would of thought that my dad and Technus could get along so well. They could be rambling on for hours!'
There was a flash of red light and a small explosion from the lab. Followed by coughing.
"Still needs some work as you can see." Jack shouted over what sounded like a fire extinguisher.
"Maybe if the influx generator was reversed?" They heard Technus shout back.
"Interesting." Clockwork said looking toward the lab, "I never knew Technus got along with humans so well."
"He gets along with any big headed nut job like himself." Johnny answered.
Skulker chuckled, "Very true, but at least he doesn't try to flirt with every single female that walks past him."
"Hey, I am what I am! Besides no lady could resist this." He said running a hand through his hair.
Ember snorted, "Says the guy with the crazy biker chick for a girlfriend."
Danny and Skulker started laughing then stopped. They all stared at each other for a moment.
"Wait a minute! Why am I being so friendly?" Skulker asked. Then he scowled. "What is going on here? You're my arch enemy I should be trying to kill you not have a pleasant conversation."
Clockwork shrugged. "You all have more in common then you thought. But let us return to more important matters."
"Yea, like big bad and scaly!" Johnny said.
"Draconum." Danny said nodding, "How can we stop him?" He directed the question at Clockwork.
"I do not know." The time ghost said simply.
Even Skulker stared. "What do you mean you don't know?" Danny asked frustrated. "Your Clockwork, Master of Time! Come on, you said you know everything!"
"I know everything that happens and will happen in the time stream, but we are at a point were time could end, there is no future at the moment for me to see. To top that off Draconum is outside of time like you or I, even in the best of conditions his actions are nearly impossible to predict."
"So then," Skulker said, "We have no idea what we need to do to stop him and we have no idea what he will do next." It wasn't a question.
Technus came out of the lab and walked up to stand next to Danny. He had just realized that he and the ghosts had formed a circle.
"Well how bad can our chances be if we all work together? I mean we got some of the most powerful beings in the world in this room. We gotta have a pretty good chance at winning at least." Johnny said.
"Actually," Technus said as he fiddled with a complex looking device with numbers on it, "we only have a..." He paused staring at the devices screen with a cocked eyebrow.
"A what?" Danny asked.
"A negative thirty percent chance at victory." He said a little annoyed.
"How can it be in the negatives?" Ember asked, "I mean wouldn't zero mean we lose no matter what. What the hell would negative thirty be telling us we have a chance for?"
Technus started to answer but was cut off by Skulker. "We can lose or we can lose so painfully that we wish we were never born."
"Great." Danny mutter.
"I cannot aid you in this fight." Clockwork said suddenly.
Everyone stared at him. Then both Danny and Skulker began grinding their teeth in anger.
"What do you mean you can't help?" Danny shouted.
"I always knew underneath that cold calm act of yours that you were a coward!" Skulker roared.
Clockwork shook his head. "My powers revolve around time, but time cannot affect Draconum in any way. I would only be in your way."
They looked at him a moment longer. Then Technus looked at his device again and scowled.
"Negative fifty percent." He said.
"Damn you Technus!" Skulker growled he grabbed the other tech ghost by the throat and started throttling him.
"What are we gonna do, Danny?" Ember asked.
-- Thirty Minutes Later --
"So we have a deal then?" Danny asked Johnny, Technus, and Skulker.
"Deal!" They all said at once.
"Remember if anyone spots him..." Danny tapped the com-devices Technus, Skulker, and Jack had thrown together.
"Trust me I am not taking on big and scaly alone, unlike you I ain't no hero." Johnny said and the other two nodded.
"You just might be one by the end of the day."
"Yea right and I might just be getting laid by your hot sister too!"
"Lets get going. Come on Ember." Technus and Johny flew off together one way. Skulker headed back into Ghost Zone to search there on his own. While Danny and Ember flew off in the opposite direction of Technus and Johny.
"You sure you want to trust them?" Ember asked.
"I have to. I trusted you, it wouldn't be fair not to at least give them a chance."
"I guess your right."
"Besides now five of the strongest beings in all of the world are working together against one enemy. No matter what Technus says that has to at least give us a fighting chance."
"I hope your right, baby-pop, I really hope your right."
"So do I." He said looking for any of the signs Skulker had told him about that could mean Draconum was nearby. He still hadn't figured out what they were going to do once they found him. He would think of that when and if they found him.
-- On a Nearby Building --
Draconum smiled as he watched the "Alliance" fly out in search of him. At least they would be a little more challenging if they were all working together.
'I wonder what their challenge will be?' He thought. 'Most likely a straight forward fight, but maybe with all of them attacking at once I might actually break a sweat.' He laughed. 'Probably not.'
'Now who should I let find me. Not the boy or his mate, no I want to meet them later. The smart one and the moron will due... but first I think I will have some fun with them for a little while...'
